The boy stood with back arched, head cocked back and hands clenched defiantly. “Go ahead, give it to me.”

The principal looked down at the young rebel. “How many times have you been here?” The child sneered rebelliously. “Apparently not enough.”

The principle gave the boy a strange look. “And you have been punished each time, have you not.?” “Yeah, I been punished, if that’s what you want to call it.” He threw out his small chest. “Go ahead, I can take whatever you dish out. I always have.”

“And no thought of your punishment enters your head the next time you decide to break the rules does it.?” “Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain’t nothin you people gonna do to stop me either.”

The principle looked over at the teacher who stood nearby. “What did he do this time?” “Fighting. He took Tommy and shoved his face into the sandbox.”

The principle turned to look at the boy. “Why, what did he do to you?” “I didn’t like the way he was lookin at me, just like I don’t like the way you’re lookin at me, and if I was bigger, I’d shove your face in the sandbox too.”

“Well young man” said the principal, this is the time you learn about grace.”

He motioned to the teacher for the belt, took it, then handed it back, leaned over the chair and said “begin.”

The boy’s mouth fell open in shock as he stared in disbelief. And as the blows cracked one by one upon the principle, tears rolled down the boys cheeks, until finally he cried out “stop”. I’m the one who deserves it. “Stop please stop.”

Still the blows came, one after another.

Finally it was over.

The principle stood with sweat glistening across his forehead and beads trickling down his face. He knelt down and for a second studied the boy.

Then his hands reached out to cradle the face of the weeping child.

Grace.

author unknown